Merry Christmas!

Look how timely I am - a Christmas post before Christmas!

I just finished looking at some pictures of Forrest that I took to showcase his Christmas outfit for this year, and I'm having trouble deciding which one deserves the place of honor on the mantle for all time.  Lucky for me, I can post them all here :0)

And just for fun, the last two years:

More Christmas pictures to come!

Sorry for My Abscence

It seems that the holiday season has gotten away from me. A combination of stocking-stitching (a record-number of orders in my esty shop!), lots going on at work, and time spent getting ready at home has kept me away from my blog. Here are some highlights from the past month.

Joshua's exciting Christmas gift to me was ruined by Mary at the Wireless Store. At the beginning of December, I received a voicemail that my iPhone was ready to be picked up. What!? So, I received that gift a bit early, and I am officially a trendy phone person. I'm still getting it all figured out.

Mom, Dad, Kati, and Ryan arrived for a Christmas weekend spent at our house in Peoria. Along with Mom and Dad came a bounce house! (Each year I put a couple of funny or unrealistic gifts on my list, such as peace on earth, two turtle doves, a bounce house, etc.) Yes, Mom and Dad really rented a bounce house. It was in my backyard for 24 hours, and the weather was so nice, we were able to bounce away. I'm sure my neighbors were curious.
Christmas Eve was spent relaxing (rather than stressing about snowstorms, as we have the past couple of years). We drove up to Geneseo to celebrate with Dad's family. This year was the first that the party hasn't been at Grandpa and Grandma's. Aunt Kathy hosted in her more spacious basement, a necessity with all the little ones running around these days. Things went very smoothly, and the macaroni and cheese I took along went over very well. We also had a chance to play Wii Dance Party game with Kylie for a few minutes. Too funny!

Christmas day was a gift extravaganza at our house. Mom and Dad outdid themselves, as always. Some of my favorites included an adorable red, curvy-handled umbrella (I don't love bland umbrellas), numbered glasses (modern, practical, and fun!), and some new knitting supplies. The fireplace also made it's Christmas debut on my TV; it's sure to be a cozy favorite for years to come.
Joshua, Shaun, Mom, and Ryan spent a large portion of Christmas afternoon assembling the Imperial Flagship, a massive Lego creation that Joshua was so excited to receive. Yes, Joshua loves Legos.
Grandma Norma and Grandpa Joe drove down to say hello later in the afternoon. It was nice to see them, and I was, once again, glad for the beautiful weather.

On the 26th, we celebrated Dad's 51st birthday. I always feel a little bad for the poor people who have birthdays so close to holidays. It just seems like they don't get the full celebration they deserve. Shaun made a red velvet cake, and we went out to dinner before taking Kati and Ryan to the airport.
Overall, a very enjoyable holiday. One thing that really became obvious was how much nice weather can improve everyone's moods and outlook. It was gorgeous, sunny, and in the 40s all weekend. Perfect! We did what we wanted to do and enjoyed each others' company. It was certainly one of the nicest Christmases.

On to the new year!

A Holly, Jolly Christmas

After four days of Christmas traveling, I'm home today cleaning, organizing, and looking at pictures. Here are the highlights from the past few days.

Joshua and I went up to my parents' house the day before Christmas Eve, earlier than expected because of predicted snow. The snow turned into reality, bringing 7-8 inches and a nervous drive to Grandma Norma and Grandpa Joe's for Christmas Eve festivities. We made it okay and enjoyed soup and sandwiches (meatball, chicken, and Cuban), along with the annual white elephant gift exchange. I took home two classic DVDs, Animal House and Austin Powers. Joshua was quite pleased with his gift, an over-sized thumbs-up statue. I should have taken a picture of that one.

We spent Christmas day at Mom and Dad's, opening presents and eating brunch. Here are a few memorable gifts.

Shaun's present to me was truly inspired and really is my favorite. After reading about an abandoned donkey named Hobo in the Peoria Journal Star, Shaun knew a donation for Hobo was just the gift for me. It's no secret that I do love donkeys. I hope to NOT be a donkey collector, with friends and family buying me loads of collectibles to junk up my house, but those animals do make me smile. Poor Hobo has had a sad life, and there are no rescue groups for donkeys, so this lady, the owner of a horse therapy farm for children with autism, has taken him in. She needs a little cash to get Hobo gelded, but once that's done, he'll have a very happy life at God's Little Acre farm. (That's really the name.) I can't tell you all how much I LOVE this gift. Shaun said I can be expecting a picture of Hobo in the mail. Makes me smile.

Shaun hit another home run in the gift department with Joshua. A couple times each year, Joshua declares a moustache party at our home. The guests wear fake moustaches, and we have a good time with a few beverages. Shaun tracked down (on etsy) shot glasses with moustaches; so cute! Joshua also loves his new Bears jersey from Dad and Mom.

I also love this new little treasure, a kitchen clock featuring silverware. Very kitschy.

Ryan seemed pretty pleased with his personalized rolle bolle, and we all loved the rolle bolle bags. We'll be set for next Labor Day.

One other fun item was press-on nails. I thought it would just be some goofy fun, so they went on my Christmas list. Mom agreed, and bought enough for all the girls. Here we are, thanks to Kati's expertise. Later that night I spent over an hour taking them off because they were making my fingers hurt. Worth the laugh.

Yesterday, Joshua and I went to Monticello to visit his family. Everyone was there for lunch at Grandpa and Grandma's, and then to Philipo's for dinner. Joshua could hardly skip going there. It was nice to see everyone; even Aimee was in town from Colorado. We don't get to see them enough.

Hopefully we can see Polly, Greg, and the kids in the next couple of weeks to finish our Christmas visiting.

Stitching!

My little etsy shop has gotten busy in the last two weeks, five orders just this weekend! I find stitching to be quite relaxing, which is a good thing. Here's the design I've been making the most.

In other news, Christmas is fast approaching, and I think I'm almost ready. Joshua and I went to cut down a tree last weekend. It's a lovely white spruce that makes me smile, all loaded up with my childhood ornaments. Nearly all of my shopping is finished and wrapped, and Christmas break will be here in two and a half weeks.

One last picture before I conclude this entry. A present to me from my dear husband. He thinks he's so clever...

Had a Holly, Jolly Christmas

Christmas Eve was spent with Polly, Greg, and the kids for lunch and at Grandma Norma's for the evening. Despite some blah weather, everyone made it. I came home with a quesadilla maker from the white elephant gift exchange. Joshua wasn't so lucky. His giant stuffed rose was only good for a laugh.

Christmas day got off to a slow start, but by lunch time (fajitas!), we were ready for fun at the split level in Peoria. It was the first time ever that we haven't been at Mom and Dad's house for Christmas morning. I was nervous about how things would go, but it was great.

The best gift? I couldn't choose just one. Some highlights include a sweater from Joshua made from alpaca (now that's just a fun animal), a lovely picture of the puppy from Kati, and new end tables from Mom and Dad. The worst gift? Easily the perfect brownie pan. Kati loved hers. I didn't want the clutter in my cupboards. Sorry, Joshua!

Today we all went to see the Chipmunks movie at Kati's request. I can't say that it's my new favorite movie, but it was fun to do something together. The family left Peoria right after the movie. We got at least eight inches of snow today, so they wanted to get on the road. This afternoon was wrapping paper shopping at target, a fun tradition, and lots of cleaning. Now the house is orderly with Christmas decorations put away, and Joshua is dorking around with several friends who are over. More Christmas notes to come tomorrow.

Banjo Present

When I was really little, Grandma Bev would spend hours wrapping gifts to look like different things. Some that come to mind are a church, hot air balloon, tennis court, and pie. It was really fun.

Well, I've never been quite so ambitious, but this year I was inspired by a very square box and an empty wrapping paper tube. Vanilla Bean Counter was quite doubtful, but I persevered. The result was well worth the time. What could bring a smile to a gift recipient's face more than a banjo present? And who is the lucky recipient you may ask. Well, Dad, you will be opening this gold banjo on Christmas morning.